Remarks by Commissioner Zaharieva on the Life Science Strategy

Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It's a pleasure to see you again.

Everyone remembers how deeply the pandemic changed our lives 5 years ago.

Covid locked us in our homes.

Many of us lost a loved one. Others lost their jobs.

But we overcame this disaster relatively fast.

We returned to our normal lives safely, with many lessons learned.

If Covid feels like a memory, let's not forget we owe it to life sciences.

They decoded the virus.

They enabled mass testing.

They developed vaccines, that changed everything.

This wasn't just a great scientific achievement.

It was also a European success story.

Behind it, there are years of research, billions of EU investment.

Life sciences are a significant contributor to the EU economy.  

Adding nearly €1.5 trillion in value to the EU economy and supporting 29 million jobs across the Union.

In medicine, food and sustainable production.

And we see the results.

Europe is home to over 40 of the top 100 life science universities.

In high-value patents, we are second only to the US.

We cannot stop there.

Health threats aren't over.

Life sciences can help us live longer and better.

They provide us with safe food.

They fuel a competitive and innovative economy.

This is why we are launching today the European Life Science Strategy.

Our plan is to make Europe the best place to innovate.

We want life science startups and global companies to Choose Europe and boost our competitiveness.

The life science sector invests heavily in R&D.

With EUR 46 billion spent in 2022, which is 19% of the EU's total business expenditure on R&D.

The biotechnology industry alone has a gross value added of EUR 38 billion in 2022.

With a growth rate of 5.3%, outpacing the EU total economy.

European biotech jobs grow six times faster than average.

The biotechnology industry generated EUR 160,000 gross added value per person employed in 2022.

A figure 2.85 times higher than the total EU economy average, surpassing even sectors like finance and automotive.

And from today we have a plan supporting their innovation journey:

R&I ecosystems, market access, user uptake.

And yes, this plan is backed by EU money.

Over 10 billion euros support this Strategy annually under the current budget.

Let me briefly present some of our actions.

First, a new clinical research investment plan.

Clinical research is essential to healthcare solutions.

Global clinical trials rose by nearly 40% over a decade.

However, Europe's share declined and we must    reverse that.

This investment will target multi-country clinical trials and boost our excellent infrastructure.

To give you an example:

The EU Clinical Research Infrastructure Network is already supporting almost 80 trials, including many led by SMEs.

And we have Bio-imaging project  facilities in 18 countries.

Here researchers can share cutting-edge microscopes, instead of each lab buying expensive bio-imaging machines.

Helping picture how cancer spread for example, or how plants adapt to extreme climates.

Second, boosting advanced therapies.

Cell or gene therapies can be true game-changers.

From treating cancer to genetic diseases.

They also have a major market potential.

And we want them to be 100% safe, accessible and affordable.

EU funding already achieved breakthroughs here.

European researchers developed a therapy for a rare gene mutation.

After a single administration, kids living in isolation could go to school, play, live normal lives.

This is the kind of innovation we will support.

We will create a European Network of Centres of Excellence for advanced therapies.

Connecting the best researchers contributing to these solutions.

And we plan funding for advanced therapies in the final Horizon Work Programmes.

But let me add that the Strategy goes beyond human health.

The health of humans, animals and our planet are interconnected.

Food systems are a clear example.

This roadmap will help us provide healthy food, making our food supply resilient and sustainable.

Third, we will go beyond funding.

We already have the safest and most trusted regulatory system in the world for health and food.

We are proud of it.

Because it reflects our values:

Public safety and trust should always come FIRST.

Now we will also use our rules to maximise innovation.

To bring safe products to market faster.

And to ensure our citizens benefit sooner from potentially life-saving solutions.

The Strategy announces a new Biotech Act to modernise the regulation and attract investors.

In parallel, we will also consider measures to unlock the huge potential of data and AI.

Fully aligned with ethical principles.

Finally, better Life Science careers.

Leadership and competitiveness depend on talent.

On those working in pharma, biotech, or research.

We know the challenges they face in this complex and competitive field.

Many of them are women, facing barriers that should not exist anymore today.

Some leave Europe for better prospects.

We must change that.

Choose Europe will attract new and returning talent.

Whether it's to conduct medical research, or scaleup their biotech startups.

Our aim is to enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, for girls and boys.

And we will implement a new research careers framework for the European Research Area.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our time horizon is 2030.

So, the next urgent step is implementation.

But success will depend on partnership: with Member States, industry, and researchers.

Europe has the talent, the ambition, and the vision.

Together, let's make Europe the home of the next generation of life science innovation.

Let's Choose Europe for Life Sciences.